Soldier On
by WhiteTree
Summary: Miles Bletchley was born into misadventure. The only thing he seems to be able to do properly is love Alicia Spinnet with all of his heart, soul, and mind. When havoc wreaks that relationship, too, Slytherin's oddly noble Keeper must learn to soldier on despite overwhelming adversity.
1. Chapter 1

_A few quick notes: First, I have been a vehement supporter of the Alicia/George universe for as long as I remember. However, I was recently introduced to the concept of _authorial intent _and realized that if J.K. Rowling says that George married Angelina, there is nothing I can do about it. Since she did not say anything about dear Miss Spinnet, I am free to make my own conclusions. _

_Second (and this is related to the first), the main characters in this story are all real in the sense that their names are mentioned in the books. Their personalities are my own invention. I tried to make them consistent with whatever the esteemed Ms. Rowling wrote. _

_Third, if anyone spots any discrepancies between this story and the books – if there is something in this story that goes directly against something in the books – please let me know. If you have anything, positive or negative, to say about this story, please let me know._

_WhiteTree_

_Soldier On _by WhiteTree

Chapter One: Cursed

They were very superstitious for a family of Ravenclaws. Members of the House of Wit and Learning generally have more sense than to believe "old witches' tales," but the Lincolns were not above it. They had disapproved of Annabelle's marriage to Solomon Bletchley from the start.

"When his wand's oak and hers is holly, then to marry would be folly!" cousins, aunts, and uncles would remind her whenever she spoke of her wedding plans. Annabelle was one of the few genuinely practical members of her family, and she always rolled her eyes. She thought their real resentment stemmed from a deep-seeded rivalry between the Lincolns of Ravenclaw and the Bletchleys of Gryffindor – the Lincolns thought the Bletchleys were rash and arrogant, and the Bletchleys thought the Lincolns were weak and conceited.

Annabelle and Solomon got married anyway. They didn't believe wand superstitions nor would they allow old prejudices to taint their happiness. Annabelle thought that Solomon was one of the kindest and most honorable men she knew, and Solomon thought that Annabelle was one of the cleverest and wisest women he had ever met.

Shortly after their first wedding anniversary, they announced to both sides of the family that they were expecting their first child. Again, the Lincolns muttered amongst themselves. Surely a child of this ill-fated union would be just as cursed! To the Bletchleys, it was the point of no return. To Annabelle and Solomon, it was the greatest joy either had ever felt.

A healthy boy was born to the couple in early October. He had Annabelle's robin's-egg-blue eyes and Solomon's dark curls. The glowing parents sent an owl to their families to relate the news. Shortly after the first owl came, another arrived. This one brought the bitter news that Annabelle had breathed her last not long after her son had breathed his first. For the anguish-stricken Lincolns, this was further proof that the boy was of the devil. No one – not Annabelle's grieving husband, not a variety of Healers at St. Mungo's, not the best wizarding counselors – could convince the stubborn family that their beloved Annie's death had been anything less than murder.

Perhaps later, after the initial pain and shock from Annabelle's death had worn off, the Lincolns might have been inclined to forgive little Miles if he had not exhibited a tendency toward disaster. Pets died and plants withered when he was near; family heirlooms tended to go missing or break; family members became ill after speaking to him. His father insisted that the trouble that followed his son was not Miles' fault, but the Lincolns paid him no notice. The most charitable of them believed that he was still grieving his wife and could not bear to be without his son, too.

The families drifted farther and farther apart as Miles grew. At his eleventh birthday party, Miles hugged his maternal grandfather hello, and the man dropped dead. His party guests fled in fear and shock, and although Solomon assured his son that the old wizard hadn't been long for the world anyway, Miles blamed himself too.

That summer, Miles received his invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Finally, he thought, he would have a chance to prove to his family that he was not a monster. He would be Sorted into Gryffindor like his father or Ravenclaw like his mother, and at least one side of the family would accept him.

An alternative didn't occur to Miles until he sat on a rickety stool in the middle of the Great Hall of Hogwarts with the old Sorting Hat on his head.

_My, what a mess your head is! Who's got you so turned around?_ the Hat whispered in his ear. _You think you ought to be in Gryffindor? You are brave, to be sure, and have been raised with a sense of chivalry. You think perhaps Ravenclaw? You've got the brains for it and a thirst for knowledge. But there is more here in your head – a desire to prove yourself, a desire to break free from the family who won't accept you. You've got a strong heart and mind, boy, and you soldier on despite all that's going against you. That is why I think you'll survive SLYTHERIN!_

Needless to say, Miles' family was not thrilled about the Sorting Hat's decision. The Lincolns had not spoken with him since old Mr. Lincoln's death, but Solomon received a cheerful Howler after the Sorting assuring him that they would have no more to do with him or his son. The Bletchleys hated to give up on one of their own, but Solomon would not abandon Miles, and they could not stomach the thought of a Slytherin in the family.

They were alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Kenneth

Miles once asked his father if he regretted the rift in his family. Solomon laughed his deep laugh. It came out of his belly like Miles imagined the flames of a dragon would – warm and energetic.

"I regret it, yes, but only for their sakes. They are missing their chance to meet you, son, and I am grieved that anyone should miss that."

Solomon adored his son because he was his son but because he was such an intelligent and compassionate boy. The Sorting Hat had been right that Miles was strong enough for Slytherin. He was never tempted to hold the prejudices so dear to many others in his House. He never made any close friends, either, but as Miles was a very quiet and private person, that was all right.

Miles adored his father because he was his father but also because he was such a brave and honorable man. Solomon taught his son to never give up, to volunteer even when no one else would, and to always do his duty. His Gryffindor sense of chivalry was passed on to Miles and was not obscured even by Slytherin practicality. If anything, it was augmented.

Although Miles assured his father that their little family was enough for him, Solomon worried. It was not good for a boy to be alone, yet Miles did not mention a single friend for his entire first year at Hogwarts. When Solomon pressed, his son gave him a few names, but it was clear that they were scarcely more than acquaintances or roommates.

This did not change in Miles' second year, after a lonely but peaceful summer. Solomon and Miles spent the majority of their time together training for the Quidditch tryouts in the fall. Miles had his heart set on being the Keeper for the Slytherin team, and Solomon did his best to help him. He received an excited owl a few weeks after term began indicating that the boy's hard work had paid off.

At Christmas break, however, Solomon was relieved to hear from his son's own lips a triumph far greater: Miles had finally made a friend.

Kenneth Towler was a boy from Gryffindor who felt as much of an outcast as Miles. He sounded like he would have been better suited for Ravenclaw. He enjoyed exploring but more because of curiosity than a sense of adventure. His favorite activities were reading and learning, and he was a self-admitted coward. Miles liked him, though, which was enough for Solomon. The boy was only 13, but he had a keen sense of judgment.

Miles continued to send owls to his father, including updates on classes and Quidditch. Mentions of Kenneth persisted, which led Solomon to believe, happily, that the friendship was a lasting one.

Over the summer, the boys spent time at each other's houses. Solomon thought that Kenneth was an intelligent and respectful boy and well-suited for Miles. He was as loquacious as Miles was reserved, as cheerful as Miles was serious, and as energetic as Miles was calm. The boys played off of each other well, and more importantly, each had a lot to teach the other. As they grew, so did their relationship, and Solomon discovered a new meaning of the word "inseparable."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Alicia

The first person Miles met at Hogwarts was a small, quiet girl named Alicia. They found themselves in the only empty carriage in the Hogwarts Express, and after brief and embarrassed introductions, they sat in their seats and simultaneously pulled out books. Miles could not concentrate on the latest adventure of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle, however; he was too interested in the girl sitting opposite him.

She was not an exceptionally pretty girl, although at 11 years old, Miles was not overly aware of such things. She had a plain but pleasant face, round with girlishness, a thin mouth and nose, and thick, dark eyebrows. Her hair was brown, several shades darker than his own, and fell in the subtlest waves to her shoulders. She was already dressed in her black robes with her pointed hat sitting on the seat beside her.

The girl's eyes were the most remarkable part about her. They were large, thoughtful, and a stunning shade of hazel that was sometimes pure gold, sometimes light brown, and sometimes streaked with green or blue. They were beautiful, and after they rested on Miles for the first time, he was transfixed. He watched her read, those eyes narrowed with concentration, in the hopes that they would raise again and look at him.

At the Sorting Ceremony, Miles discovered that the girl's last name was Spinnet. She was Sorted into Gryffindor. The Hat took almost as long with her as it had with him, and he saw a surprised expression on her open face that suggested her mind was as conflicted as his.

Miles and Alicia had few classes together, and the Gryffiindors and Slytherins kept mostly to opposite ends of the classroom. They sat at different tables in the Great Hall, slept in different dormitories, and generally tried to have as little contact with each other as possible. Thus, it was difficult for Miles to get to know her at all. As the years passed, more opportunities appeared as the students were given more freedom. There were chances to take extra classes, weekends to visit Hogsmeade, the local village, and the students took less time trying to find their classes so had more time to socialize on the way.

It was in this way that Miles met Kenneth Towler.

They were walking in opposite directions on one of Hogwarts' moving staircases, but as they passed each other, Kenneth's right leg suddenly disappeared into one of the steps. He let out a surprised and pained cry and dropped his books down the stairs. Miles immediately set down his own and turned to assist him.

"Careful!" Kenneth warned. "It's the trick stair. Fred and George were just telling me about it, too…"

Fred and George Weasley were the year's notorious pranksters. They, too, were in Gryffindor and were the particular friends of Alicia, although their personalities could not have been more different.

"I've fallen into it a time or two myself," Miles assured Kenneth. "Here." He seized the smaller boy beneath the armpits and gave a mighty tug. Miles was bigger and stronger than most of the boys in his year, which made him a superb Keeper on the Quidditch field. However, his might was not enough in this instance.

"Could you bring me some dinner up from the Great Hall, 'Leesh?" Kenneth joked, feebly, to someone down the stairs. Miles' head jerked up. He had noted Alicia's passage before Kenneth, of course, but he had thought she had continued walking. She, like him, had set down her books and come to help. She smiled shyly at him before turning her attention on her classmate.

"I heard they're serving a pot roast tonight that's better warm. We'll just have to get you out of here," she said with a comforting smile.

Miles and Alicia went to work pulling and pushing, twisting and tugging, trying everything they could think of to try and extricate the unfortunate Kenneth. Some attempts caused him to sink further into the stair, while others made him bob up and down like a cork. Finally, after nearly a quarter of an hour's work, they pulled him loose.

Standing on the same step as Miles, Kenneth was far shorter and skinnier. His hair was thick, brown, and curlier than Miles', although at the time it was difficult to tell, plastered as it was to his face with sweat. A pair of glasses slipped up and down his slick nose, but his brown eyes were twinkling good-naturedly.

"Blimey, you'd better be right about that pot roast, Alicia. I'm starving!" He jabbered all the way to the Great Hall, Alicia and Miles giving each other amused glances behind his back. Miles wished that he could follow them over to the Gryffindor table, but when he saw them sit beside the Weasley twins and their other friends, he knew it could not be. Kenneth hailed Alicia as a heroine, and although she blushed she looked pleased; the twins roared with laughter at Kenneth's story while Angelina Johnson, another of Alicia's close friends, looked sympathetic. No, thought Miles as he sat down beside his Quidditch teammates, the closest things he had to friends in Slytherin, it could not be.

Kenneth Towler did not believe that, however. He felt indebted to his good Samaritan (or "Good Slytherin," as he teased Miles) and swore undying loyalty to him. It was odd to have a friend, especially a Gryffindor friend, especially a talkative, energetic, brilliant friend, but Miles found himself becoming as fond of Kenneth as Kenneth was of him.

As the years passed, the boys only became closer, and Miles' feelings for a certain Gryffindor girl only became stronger. He had only a few personal interactions, but he heard from valuable sources (mostly Kenneth) that she was one of the kindest, bravest, most honest girls in the school.

He began to love her for it.


End file.
